Agricultural Labourers in the Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The increasing destitution of agricultural labourers in the last quarter of 18th century had provoked manifold controversies and bred some remedies. The poor law system had been reorganized and social schemes providing for the less fortunate members of society were advocated. To make clear how these changes had taken place, there is none which deserves more careful investigation than the huge change which had been brought about in the condition of English rural labourers. Agricultural day labourers, who began to play more important part in the mixed farming, had fallen into the deteriorating condition of their livelyhood through (a) augmentation of seasonal partiality of the demand of agricultural labour, (b) shortening of the terms of employment and (c) the loss of common right and the decline of domestic industries. Their miserable condition had appeared sharply at the scarcity of corn in 1795 and two types of remedies were discussed and enforced. The allowance system, which was to relieve the poor within the poor law system, had developed and had been called the Speenhamland system. The allotment scheme which intended to give agricultural labourers small plots of land and social system of friendly societies and saving banks were another alternatives proposed. The latter remedies is different from the Speenhamland system in stressing the desirability to make labourers independent of the- public relief and advocating high productivity of employing such independent labourers. In order to create independent labourers, these schemes meant to let labourers be self-reliant by supplying the circumstances favourable for the encouragement of the spirit of independence still remaining in the mentality of the agricultural labourers. During the agricultural depression after Waterloo, the allowance system considered to cause the demoralization amongst the poor and the baneful effect on the labour productivity had declined, while the alternative remedies had developed. The poor law amendment act of 1834 was the zenith of this development.